Summary

Part of a series of interviews recorded in conjunction with WLP public event, 'Challenges of Change: Religion, Secularism, and Rights'. Hafsat Abiola, Founder of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) discusses the challenges of confronting violence against women in multi-ethnic societies. Describes the use of Eve Ensler's play 'The Vagina Monologues' to reach Nigerian communities on the impact of sexual violations, adaptation into 'V Monologues - The Nigerian Story' with the narration of accounts from Nigerian women. Describes context, campaign traveling as far as Abuja but not to conservative northern Muslim communities. Discusses positive and negative cultural mindsets, the paradox of women as highly respected members of the family, respect for elders prevented violence against men's own mothers, exposing the possibility of self-control, dispelling need to refer to West for standard. Mentions Maliki school of thought. Discusses education of scholars for challenging interpretations as best approach to religious authorities, building blocks for future instead of warring with status quo. This refers to Indonesia where religious law conducive to promoting women's rights. Discusses male allies, using the opportunity that easier for men to commit to daughter's rights than the wife's rights. Describes Children's Rights Bill adopted by many Nigerian states, cultural issues surrounding. Describes relationship with Women's Learning Partnership (WLP), use of leadership training materials. Describes personal motivation.

Runtime: [00:27:56]

TERMS OF USE: While WLP encourages visitors to our website to explore and share the resources in our Learning Center, we do not permit the publication or exhibition of any of the materials provided by WLP or generated by WLP, in part or in their entirety, in articles, books, digests, documentaries, magazines, movies, newsletters, reports, websites, whitepapers, or other print or digital document or platform, or audio or audio-visual recording, or audio or audio-visual broadcast or podcast, without our written permission. To learn more about how to request permission, please consult our full Terms of Use.